GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The Green Bay Metro Fire Department is hanging holiday wreaths on all of its fire stations to raise public awareness about residential fires this time of year.
The program is running from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. All wreaths will originally be lit in green lights. But for every residential fire in the city during the holiday season, each green light will be changed to red. According to the fire department, this is an effort to educate people on fire safety.
Firefighters say the city averages 15 residential fires during the holiday season. The main cause of fires usually is cooking-related. According to the fire department, the mission of the program is to keep all holiday wreaths lights green.
The fire department is sharing the following tips for you to have a safe holiday season:
- Make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working. They should be installed at every level of your home. It's recommended to check them once a month, and change the batteries every year.
- When cooking on your stove, you are encouraged to stay in your kitchen.
- Use turkey fryers outside. The fire department says you should never use them on a wooden deck or in your garage.
- Keep your holiday decorations, or other flammable objects, at least three feet away from open flame and heating sources.
- Any string of holiday lights with worn or broken cords, or loose bulb connections, should be replaced.
- If you have a real Christmas tree, you're asked to water it daily. A tree that is dry can catch fire easily.
